Stairway



I Dec. 7, 1943. R. J. FICK sTAInwAY' Filed Sept. 29, 1942 .floor when it is not in use.

, at all times. the space occupied by the ladder when it is in use important advantage. J' Ct is attained in so arranging the. ladder sec- 55, P90111011 therebetween- A P 1 8 at t Qther end Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAIRWAY Raymond J. Fick, North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application September 29, 1942, Serial No. 460,052

& Claims.

This invention relates to ladders or stairways of the so-called disappearing type.

Ladders and staircases of the general class in which the present invention falls are arranged, in various ways, to be stored in an upper position. Where the ladder or stairway is designed to permit passage from one floor of a building to another the stairway or ladder is frequently arranged to be housed or stored above the upper While the principles of the present invention have varying applica- ..tion, and while either a stairway or a ladder may be constructed according to the principles of the present invention without departing therefrom, a specific embodiment of the invention will be described in the ladder form and reference will be had to a familiar instance of use of devices of this kind, namely to give access to the attic or garret of a building where it is not desired that the ladder or stairway be in position for use This latter is for the reason that serves Other purposes when the ladder is not being used.

The present invention is characterized by eX- treme simplicity of construction which enables its production on a very inexpensive basis and accordingly places the device within practical reach of all who have use for such means of ascension. Where noinst-allation of this kind is afforded and a hatchway is provided between a room of a building and an attic or a garret thereabove, a common stepladder is frequently employed. The inconvenience of bringing a stepladder or other portable ladder or stairway to the point of desired use and subsequently removing tions proper between their desired operative and stored positions. The third section performs the function of guiding the upper end of the upper of the two ladder sections in a predetermined arcuate path during movement toor from operative position so that such. upper section may be conveniently projected through a hatchway of minimum compass and so that its upper end is stored in desired position with respect to the other elements. It has been stated above that the extreme simplicity of the arrangement is an A further important obtions that they may be stored in a space of very small compass. The proposed arrangement is further marked by the fact that the device may be moved to and from operative position through a hatchway or other opening of extremely small size, as was pointed out above. In fact, any opening of sufficient size to permit a user to pass upwardly therethrough is more than adequate.

In the exemplary form illustrated, I have shown my novel ladder arrangement in conjunction with a hatch cover or door, the two being so associated as to have common control means whereby opening of the door and movement of the ladder to usable position may be'simply effected. Subsequent movement of the ladder to stored position and closure of the door is likewise extremely simple. The common control means are arranged to retain both the ladder and the door in predetermined desired positions against gravitational forces.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a building showing one form of the ladder arrangement of my invention in side elevation; and,

Fig. 2 is afragmentary elevational view of the mid portion of the two section ladder of Fig. 1 viewed at right angles to Fig. 1 and with the ladder sections in extended position, that is, in position for use.

In the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts and in Fig. 1 the numeral 5 designates a building structure having a lower floor 6, an upper floor '1 and a roof or further upper floor 8. The upper iioor 1 has therein a hatchway 9 to give egress to the upper floor from the lower. Numerals l0 and H designate respectively upper and lower ladder sections which are pivotally connected by a common rung 12. In Fig. 1 the full line representation shows the ladder in stored condition with a hatch door 13 in clo ed position. The dot-and-dash line position designated A is the position of use, while the dot-and-dash line position designated B is an intermediate position which the ladder sections occupy during movement of the ladder from stored to usable position and vice versa.

Arm means are provided for guiding the upper end of the upper ladder section iii and in the illustrated instance the arm means comprises a third ladder section 14 which has a rung [5 at one end which is a common rung of the ladder sections 10 and I4 and comprises a pivotal conof the ladder section It is pivotally attached to the floor I by means of bearing blocks IT.

The lower ends of the lower ladder section H are chamfered as at 18 and in the stored position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the chamfers rest on the edge of the hatchway 9 and the condition of the ladder sections in this position is unstable. The full line position is maintained, as long as desired, by means of a cable, cord or the like, designated 28 and extending from engagement with the pivot run i2 over a pair of spaced pulleys 2| and 22 attached to the roof or ceiling 8 ,and downward to a hook 23 secured to a wall-24 1 :of .the building. At this point the cord is fitted with a ring 25 which may be engaged over the hook 23.

An extension 25 of the cord 20 reaches about a second pair of pulleys 2'! and-28, likewise secured to the roof or ceiling 8, and terminates in engagement with an edge of the closure l3 which is opposite its hinged connection in the hatchway 9. It will be noted that the extension 26 of the cord 20 is likewise provided with a ring 30. When it is desired to use the ladder means, a user will pull downwardly on the cord 26 until the door moves to the position shown in dot-and-dash'lines in Fig. 1. At this time the ring 30 is substantially in registry with the hook 23 and the operator may remove the ring 25 from the hook-23 and substitute the'ring 39.

Release of the ring 25 from the hook 23 and paying the cord 20 out upwardly will result in downward movement of the lower ladder section l'l through the hatchway 9 to the'position indicatd in dot-and-dash lines at B. The Weight of this depending ladder section will continue the downward movement thereof and the upper ladder section I i will likewise be moved through the hatchway'lt. During the latter phase of the operation the upper end of theladder section i0, thatis, the end which is uppermostwhen the ladder is in use, is constrainedto arcuate'movement wastes outer end of the arm'me'an'sfth'e third ladder section 14. In this way the upperladder section in is disposed in positions which facilitate its projection through the hatchway 9 ,It will be noted thatnatural gravitation of the lower, ladder section to the floor 6 will leave it in an approximately vertical condition and withdrawal to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines at A is efiected by the user. In movement to the position designated A/ portions 32 of the ladder ill which project beyond the pivot rung i2 engage in channel lips 3ft carried by the ladder section it at opposite sides thereof, seeFig Z.

, By reason of the presence of the clips 34 'andithe engagement of the projecting ladderportions '32 therein, the ladder sections 10 and l 'lpresent a rigid unitary composite ladder in the position designated A in Fig. 1. Provision of I the arm meansid in theform of a third ladder section facilitates emergence into the space above the floor I by a user of the device, The three rungs of this section provide convenient grasping means to, complete ascension of the upper ladder sectionlEl.v l Movement of theladder to stored position and subsequent closure of thedoorll i' of the-hatchway ar obviously eilected by merely reversing the hatch door opening and ladder projecting procedure'heretoicre outlined. While a single complete embodiment or the principles of my inven- ,tion is set forth hrein by way or eXampIeQitis V to be understood that the spirit and 'scbpe'of'the invention is not limited thereto or otherwis than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim;

1. Stairway construction for use with a building floor having a hatchway therein, said construction comprising means pivotally attached to said floor adjacent said hatchway and having an end portion movable pivotally between positions above said hatchway and spaced therefrom, a pair of stairway sections pivotally connected in end-toend relation and one of them having its outer end pivotally connected to the end portion of the arm means whereby said pair of sections depend therefrom through said hatchway when said end portion is above said hatchway, and means for si- 'multaneously'raising the pivotal connection between said sections through said hatchway and above said floor 'and'pivoting said arm means to dispose its end portion in position spaced from said hatchway to dispose said sections in inverted V position. V 2. Stairway construction for'use with a building floor havinga hatchway'therein, said'construction comprising meanspivotally attached to said floor adjacent said hatchway and having an end portion movable pivotally between positions above said hatchway and spaced therefrom, a pair of stairway sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relation and one of them having its outer end pivotally connected to the end portion of the arm'mean's to depend therefrom through said hatchway when said end portion is above said hatchway, and means engaging said stairway sections adjacent their pivoted connection for simultaneously raising the'pivotal connection through said hatchway and pivoting saidarm means to dispose its end portion in position spaced from said hatchway to dispose said sections in inverted V position.

3. Stairway construction for use with a building floor having a hatchway therein, said construction comprising means pivotally attached to said floor adjacent'said hatchway and having an end portion movable pivotally between positions above said hatchway and spaced therefrom,

a p'airof stairway sections pivotally connected in end-to end'jrelation'and one of themhaving its outer "endpivotally connected to the end portion of the arm means to depend therefrom through said hatchway when said end portion is above said hatchway, and meansfor exerting an "upward force against the pivotal connection between saidsections-for raising said connection *through said hatchway and substantially above tions'in' inverted V position.

4. Stairway construction for use with abuilding floor having a hatchway therein, said construction comprising mea'ns pivotally attached to said iio'or adjacent said'hatchway and having anend portion movable pivotally between positions above "said "hatchway and spaced therefrom, a pair'of stairwaysecti'onspivotally connected in end-to-end relation and. one of them having its outer "end: pivotally connected to the end portion ofthe arm'meanstodep'end there- "from through said hatchway'when said 'end'portion is above'said hatchway, and means for simultaneously raising'the pivotal connection between said sections throughsaid' hatchway and pivoting "said'arm' means to dispose its endip'ortion in po- 7$itinl Spaced rom said hatchway to dispose sald "sections in" inverted" V* position, said means comprising pulley means substantially above said floor and cable means extending upwardly from said ladder sections through said pulley thence its outer end pivotally connected to the end portion of the arm means to depend therefrom through said hatchway when said end portion is above said hatchway, and means for raising said sections through said hatchway and pivoting said arm means to dispose its end portion in position spaced from said hatchway to dispose said sections in inverted V position, said means comprising pulley means substantially above said floor and cable means extending upwardly from said ladder sections through said pulley thence downwardly to an accessible point below said floor, a cover for said hatchway hinged for upward opening movement, and second pulley means above said floor, said cable means having a continuous extension from the point below said floor to said second pulley means and downwardly for engagement with said door spaced from its hinged connection, and means below said floor for securing said cable means in various positions, whereby said cable means raises said sairway sections to stored postion or opens said hatchway door for lowering of aid stairway sections upon movement in opposite directions of said cable means.

6. Stairway construction for use with a build ing floor ha ing a hatchway therein, said construction comprising three ladder sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relation, the free end of one section being adapted to be pivotally attached to said building floor at a point spaced from said hatchway and in such position that its opposite end which is pivotally connected to the middle one of the three sections may be swung from a position over said hatchway Where the other two sections depend therethrough for use in gaining access to said building floor to an opposite position where said opposite end of the floor-attached section and the end of the middle section which is pivotally attached thereto are relatively remote from said hatchway, and means for disposing said middle section and the third section in inverted V position.

7. A disappearing stairway for gaining access to an upper floor through a hatchway therein, said stairway comprising in position for use upper and lower sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relation, arm means adapted to be secured to said upper floor for pivotal movement and having a free end portion pivotally engaging the upper end of said upper section whereby to guide the engaged end of said upper section to a position spaced horizontally from said hatchway upon upward movement of said upper and lower sections, and lifting means engaging said upper and lower sections medially for raising their pivotal connection to a point above said upper floor whereby the stairway is stored thereon in inverted V position offset from said hatchway.

8. A disappearing stairway for gaining access to an upper floor through a hatchway therein, said stairway comprising in position for use upper and lower sections pivotally connected in end-to-end relation, arm means adapted to be secured to said upper floor for pivotal movement having a free end portion pivotally engaging the upper end of said upper section whereby to guide the engaged end of said upper section to a position spaced horizontally from said hatchway upon upward movement of said upper and lower sections, pulley m ans above said upper floor, and cable means engaging said upper and lower sections medially and extending over said pulley means thence downwardly to a conveniently accessible point below said upper fioor for manually raising the pivotal connection between the sections to a point above said upper floor whereby the stairway is stored thereon in inverted V position offset from said hatchway.

RAYMOND J. FICK. 

